060
FXUS65 KBYZ 192238
AFDBYZ
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
338 PM MST FRI DEC 19 2025
KEY MESSAGES
- COLD FRONT THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING ENDS STRONG WIND THREAT
AND BRINGS A BAND OF PRECIPITATION (RAIN TRANSITIONING TO SNOW)
THROUGH THE AREA. LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS FOR THE FOOTHILLS
EXPECTED. IMPACTS TO THIS EVENING'S COMMUTE POSSIBLE.
- PERIODS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL OVER THE ABSAROKA-
BEARTOOTH MOUNTAINS INTO SATURDAY. ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS
OF 6 TO 12 INCHES FORECAST, GREATEST ON SOUTH AND WEST ASPECTS.
- ANOTHER PERIOD OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW IS EXPECTED IN THE
ABSAROKA- BEARTOOTH MOUNTAINS SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. CHANCE OF 12
OR MORE INCHES OF SNOW IS 80 PERCENT OVER THE HIGHEST PEAKS.
DISCUSSION
TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY...
A COLD FRONT DROPPING IN FROM THE NORTH THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING IS ENDING THE STRONG WIND THREAT AND BRINGING A BAND OF
RAIN/SNOW TO THE AREA. AS THIS BAND SINKS SOUTH THROUGH THE LATE
AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS, THE PRECIPITATION TYPE IS EXPECTED TO
SWITCH OVER TO ALL SNOW. WHILE THIS BAND LOOKS TO BE PRETTY FAST
MOVING, IMPACTS THIS EVENING'S COMMUTE REMAIN POSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY
ALONG THE SOUTHERN FOOTHILLS WHERE UPSLOPE ENHANCEMENT WILL ALLOW
FOR A PERIOD OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW. HIGH RESOLUTION MODELS
ALSO INDICATE THERE COULD BE A FEW POCKETS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY
SNOW OVER THE PLAINS GENERALLY BETWEEN BILLINGS AND BROADUS,
POTENTIALLY IMPACTING INTERSTATE 90 AND HIGHWAY 212 BETWEEN THESE
AREAS. GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT WILL ALSO BRING SOME
BLOWING SNOW, WHICH COULD REDUCE VISIBILITY FURTHER AT TIMES. AS
FAR AS SNOWFALL AMOUNTS GO, MOST OF THE AREA WILL ONLY SEE A
DUSTING TO LESS THAN AN INCH OF SNOW. HOWEVER, THE FOOTHILLS ALONG
THE BEARTOOTH FRONT (INCLUDING RED LODGE), AND THE FOOTHILLS OF
THE BIGHORN/PRYOR MOUNTAINS COULD SEE A FEW INCHES OF SNOW
(GENERALLY 1 TO 3 INCHES). THEREFORE, THE WINTER WEATHER
ADVISORIES FOR THE BEARTOOTH/RED LODGE FOOTHILLS AND THE FOOTHILLS
ON THE NORTH AND EAST SIDE OF THE BIGHORN AND PRYOR MOUNTAINS
REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH MIDNIGHT
TONIGHT. IN ADDITION, SOUTHERN ROSEBUD HAS BEEN ADDED TO COVER
LAME DEER DIVIDE ON HIGHWAY 212.
OVER THE ABSAROKA-BEARTOOTH MOUNTAINS, MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW IS
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE INTO TONIGHT BEFORE COMING TO AN END BY EARLY
SATURDAY MORNING. WITH THIS, AN ADDITIONAL 5 TO 10 INCHES OF SNOW
IS FORECAST. WHILE THE MAJORITY OF THE SNOW WITH THIS SYSTEM FELL
ON SOUTH AND WEST FACING SLOPES, THE NORTH FACING SLOPES WILL GET
IN AN THE ACTION THIS EVENING/TONIGHT BEHIND THE FRONT. WINDS ARE
ALSO DECREASING THIS AFTERNOON IN THE MOUNTAINS, BUT AREAS OF
BLOWING SNOW WILL REMAIN INTO TONIGHT. THE WINTER STORM WARNING
FOR THE ABSAROKA-BEARTOOTH MOUNTAINS REMAINS IN GOOD SHAPE.
SATURDAY WILL BE A COOLER AND DRY DAY WITH HIGHS IN THE 30S AND
40S. WHILE WINDS WILL BE MUCH LESS THAN THE PAST FEW DAYS, BREEZY
WINDS IN THE 30S AND 40S (MPH) ARE FORECAST OVER THE FOOTHILL WEST
OF BILLINGS ONCE AGAIN. SUNDAY, ANOTHER PUSH OF PACIFIC MOISTURE
IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE ABSAROKA-BEARTOOTH MOUNTAINS,
BRINGING ANOTHER PERIOD OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL INTO MONDAY.
AT THIS TIME, THE CHANCE OF SEEING 12 OR MORE INCHES OF SNOW IS
80 PERCENT OVER THE HIGHEST PEAKS. WITH THIS EVENT, THE SOUTH AND
WEST FACING SLOPES WILL RECEIVE THE MOST SNOW ONCE AGAIN.
OUTSIDE OF A WEAK SHORTWAVE TROUGH PASSAGE ON MONDAY, THE FIRST
HALF OF NEXT WEEK LOOKS QUIETER WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE 40S AND
50S. WITH THAT SAID, PERIODS OF BREEZY CONDITIONS AND MOUNTAIN
SNOW WILL STILL EXIST. BY LATE WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY, ENSEMBLES
SUGGEST LOWER HEIGHTS MAY MOVE INTO THE WESTERN CONUS, BRINGING
MORE UNSETTLED WEATHER. HOWEVER, UNCERTAINTY REMAINS. ARENDS
AVIATION
STRONG WINDS FROM MOUNTAIN WAVE ACTIVITY HAVE TAPERED OFF TO
25-35KTS ACROSS THE BEARTOOTH/ABSAROKA AND BIGHORN/PRYOR
FOOTHILLS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL A FRONTAL PASSAGE MOVES THROUGH THE
AFTERNOON. THIS WILL SHIFT THE WINDS NORTHWEST (25-35KTS) AND
BRING A RAIN/SNOW MIX BEFORE TRANSITIONING TO ALL SNOW. AREAS OF
MODERATE SNOWFALL (KSHR, KLVM) WILL BE MOST LIKELY TO SEE
REDUCTIONS IN VISIBILITY DUE TO BLOWING SNOW THIS EVENING (40-50%
CHANCE). IFR/LIFR CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE UNDER THESE
CIRCUMSTANCES. EXPECT MOUNTAIN OBSCURATIONS THROUGH MIDNIGHT WHEN
PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO HAVE CLEARED THE AREA. TS
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMP/POPS
SAT SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI
-----------------------------------------------------------
BIL 027/042 026/039 031/050 029/048 032/054 032/052 031/048
50/U 01/E 23/W 11/B 01/E 11/B 11/B
LVM 021/037 021/041 033/047 031/050 037/051 033/049 033/046
60/N 02/W 55/W 32/W 13/W 32/W 22/W
HDN 023/042 022/039 027/048 026/045 027/053 029/051 027/048
70/U 00/E 22/W 10/B 00/E 11/B 11/B
MLS 017/034 018/036 026/045 025/042 026/048 028/045 025/043
20/U 00/B 11/E 10/B 00/B 10/B 11/B
4BQ 024/038 021/041 030/049 028/049 032/056 032/051 030/048
70/U 00/B 01/E 00/B 00/B 10/B 00/B
BHK 013/030 016/039 024/045 023/043 026/051 026/045 024/043
20/U 00/B 01/E 00/B 00/B 10/B 10/B
SHR 017/037 016/041 026/048 026/049 030/056 028/051 028/048
90/U 00/E 01/E 00/B 00/B 11/B 11/U
BYZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
MT...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT MST TONIGHT
FOR ZONES 56-58-66-138.
HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR
ZONES 63-228.
WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 AM MST SATURDAY FOR
ZONE 67.
HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR
ZONES 138-169-171.
WY...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT MST TONIGHT
FOR ZONE 199.
HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM MST THIS AFTERNOON FOR
ZONES 198-199.
WEATHER.GOV/BILLINGS
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